Fethiye

We offer ferry tickets between Fethiye and Rhodes

There's only so much you can do on one holiday in Fethiye so we've tried to keep this list of must-sees short. All recommendations are what we love about this area and what we would like to recommend to you if it's your first visit to the Fethiye area of Turkey.

Recommendations are in no particular order and we've assumed visits to Fethiye will be in summer...otherwise, we would have a lot more trekking suggestions on this list.

1. Fethiye Old Town Stroll around shaded Paspatur, the old town of Fethiye, and visit the many shops for all your souvenirs. Quench your thirst at Pegasus Bar - well we did say we were biased!

2. Fethiye Rock Tombs A bit of a pull, but climb up to the main Lycian rock tomb in Fethiye - the tomb of Amyntas - and take in the amazing views of Fethiye marina and the whole of the bay. You can always reward yourself with an icy cold Efes Pilsen when you come back down into Fethiye.

3. Fethiye Boat Trips There's not just the 12 Island Boat trip that you might have heard about - although they are certainly amazing value for money (prices change throughout the season but the maximum is around 25 lira per head) - 8 hours, about 5 swim stops and your lunch included. If you don't like the idea of a big boat, loads of other tourists and music, then book a private boat trip from Fethiye. Those could be around £150 for the boat for the day and they usually visit the quieter bays of Fethiye. But our personal favourite boat trip from Fethiye for a great value day out is the Sunday Market boat trip to Göcek.

4. Fethiye Beaches Yes, Fethiye has beaches! Take the Karagözler dolmuş to any of the bays in Fethiye. Aksazlar Bay (before Letoonia Club Hotel), Samanlık Bays, Küleli, Boncuklu. If it's not too hot, you pass all of these bays on the Fethiye Peninsula trek. Sundays will be very busy with Turkish families.

5. Fethiye Market Great if you're self-catering rather than staying in a hotel in Fethiye. Marvel at the lovely fresh fruit and veg on Fethiye Market before strolling around the hundreds of fake designer clothes, shoes, sunglasses stalls. Can't say we ever buy any of the fake stuff but it's worth a wander around. Oh, and you should try Gözleme – Turkish pancake. (The market is every Tuesday in Fethiye, every Sunday in Çalış and if it's just the foods you're after, there's a pleasant, low key farmers' market every Friday on the site of the Tuesday market)

6. Ölüdeniz Beaches No holiday to Fethiye, Turkey is complete without a day on the beach at Ölüdeniz; one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Belcekız Beach has the crashing waves or you can swim in the lagoon. The dolmuş from Fethiye will take you down to the private beaches of the lagoon for free if you ask the driver. We normally go to Sea Horse Beach. (Dolmuşes leave the dolmuş station in Fethiye every few minutes. In high season, the last one back to Fethiye is around 2am. Check with the driver. Journey time from Fethiye - about 40 mins)

7. Kayaköy Kayaköy has many ruins left from the population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923. Beautiful countryside, Turkish village life and a sad reminder of the past. Don't leave Kaya without going to Cin Bal Restaurant where your barbecue your own food. (The dolmuş to Kaya from Fethiye is every hour on the hour from the dolmuş station. Every half an hour in high season. The last dolmuş back to Fethiye is around 8pm in low season and 10pm in high season so check with the driver if you don't want to end up in a taxi. Journey time from Fethiye - about 40 mins) Or you can walk to Kayaköy from Fethiye if you feel like it!

8. Saklıkent Gorge Amazing, breathtaking. Yes, lots of tourists go there in high season but places become famous for a reason. We never get bored of Saklıkent Gorge. If you're here early in the season, go on any day except Sunday and it should be free from crowds. You have the gushing rapids and colossal cliff faces to yourself. Eat at the fabulous Kayıp Cennet Restaurant. (The usual scenario - dolmuşes leave the dolmuş station for Saklıkent on a regular basis. If you're in a car, take the D400 towards Antalya and it's signposted from here. Journey time from Fethiye - about 50 mins).

9. Çalış Beach Sunset Whatever your views on Çalış Beach, there is no denying that this little area of Southwest Turkey has one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. If beach areas like Çalış are just not your thing, you really ought to make the effort to go down there if only just to watch the sun go down. Our photo archives are packed with Çalış sunset photes. No two are the same. Taking the Fethiye to Çalış water taxi at sunset is also a treat for photographers,

10.Tlos Ruins Very underrated as far as we are concerned. We've seen many ruins in Turkey and the mountainous Tlos near Fethiye is yet to be beaten for us. Amazing views over the Xanthos Valley. Lycian and Roman ruins intermingled with mountain village life. No visit to Tlos is complete without stopping in for a drink or a bite to eat at the Original Yaka Park (Hire a car / moped and you can go to Saklikent and Tlos in one day. Tlos is worth 2 or 3 hours of your time. Journey time from Fethiye - about 50 mins).

Our Destinations

There's only so much you can do on one holiday in Fethiye so we've tried to
keep this list of must-sees short. All recommendations are what we love about this area and what we would like to recommend to you if it's your first visit to the Fethiye area of Turkey.